Impacts of Plantations of Exotic Forest Trees on Water Resources in Patagonia

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The government of Argentina has actively promoted establishment of forest plantations since 1999. The climate of the regions suitable for plantation forestry in Patagonia (southwest Argentina) is similar to the Pacific Northwest (PNW) of the United States; conifers from the PNW grow very well in Patagonia, and several PNW species, most notably ponderosa pine, are widely used in these plantations. These plantations offer many potential benefits to a country with a brutally damaged economy; at the same time they have the potential to cause profound environmental impacts. Research is urgently needed to maximize benefits and to understand, and hopefully mitigate, potential problems. This project will examine the potential impact of ponderosa pine plantations on water resources. This is critical in Patagonia, where water is a crucially limiting resource. Over a three-year period we will compare water utilization and water-use efficiency (the ratio of growth to water use) in exotic plantations and native vegetation by measuring sapflow (water movement through stems) and soil water depletion. We will also use hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in water of soils and plant stems to evaluate where water is extracted within the soil profile by exotic plantations and native vegetation. The project will develop a cooperative effort between scientists in Argentina and the U.S. in teaching and training students in environmental science. Support for this project also comes from CONICET, Argentina's equivalent of NSF.